Legendary confirms 'Dune 3', developing film on 'Nuclear War: A Scenario' with Denis Villeneuve

Los Angeles: Filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is staying in business with Hollywood studios Legendary Entertainment as it has officially given a go-ahead to "Dune 3".

The critically-acclaimed director and the studio are also in talks to develop the film adaptation of best-selling non-fiction book "Nuclear War: A Scenario" by author Annie Jacobsen apart from "Dune 3", according to entertainment news outlet Deadline.

Villeneuve will first work on "Dune 3", which is a story based on author Frank Herbert's "Dune: Messiah".

The earlier two movies in the franchise, "Dune: Part One" (2021) and "Dune: Part Two" (2024), were based on Herbert's seminal 1965 novel "Dune", about Paul Atreides whose family, the noble House Atreides, is thrust into a war for the deadly and inhospitable desert planet Arrakis.

Villeneuve has time and again expressed a desire to conclude the story of "Dune" with a third part, adapted from "Dune: Messiah" that was published in 1969. And Legendary has finally confirmed the project.

Post "Dune 3", the Canadian filmmaker may work on the film adaptation of "Nuclear War: A Scenario", which was optioned by Legendary soon after its publication in March this year. The book explores a ticking-clock scenario about what would happen in the event of a nuclear war, based on dozens of exclusive new interviews with military and civilian experts who built the weapons and have been privy to the response plans and have been responsible for those decisions should they need to be made.

Villeneuve is currently basking in the glory of "Dune: Part Two", which has raked in over USD 630 million at the worldwide box office. The movie features an ensemble cast of Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgard, Charlotte Rampling and Javier Bardem.